Novespace A300 ZERO-G is going to carry out its 4000th parabola on the account of the DLR (German space agency)
Next flights of the A300 ZERO-G (33rd flight campaign) will be made on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th of next October from Bordeaux airport.
10 experiments, selected by the German space agency will be carried out in micro gravity by as many German research organizations.
Results achieved by the 4000th parabola – A plane that is increasingly in demand
Novespace is achieving today an average of seven parabolic flight campaigns every year. A number which is in constantly progressing since 1997, first year of the A300 ZERO-G commercialization, with 4 campaigns sold.
By the end of the campaign which is being carried out at the moment, the A300 ZERO-G will have accumulated 4007 parabolas in 165 flights. It will have taken on board an average of 4000 passengers, researchers, engineers and students who in turn will have brought 413 scientific, technological or pedagogical experiments on board,.
Morover in 2002 the A300 ZERO-G has found itself a new purpose in observation since the adaptation of a radar system, developed by the American company SPC,. It will be used in the near future at the rate of 3 campaigns a year to observe the burning up on reentry into the atmosphere of the main cryogenic stage of Ariane 5. First certification flight of this project took place in October 2002.
The DLR campaign
The research experiments carried out on the actual campaign are in a scope of science as varied as fluid, material, physiology and biology.
Some of these will then be taken on to the International Space Station, as for example the experiment Plasma Krystal 3-PLUS, result of a German/Russian cooperation, for the study of complex plasma. State of matter of which the knowledge could have a deciding impact in solid state physics, fluid physics or again astrophysics.
Other experiments carried out within TEMPUS containerless processing facility will allow a better knowledge of metallic alloy manufacturing conditions.
Some Physiology and biology experiments will enable a better adaptation of man to space environment, others will make a contribution to the general comprehension of Life.
An experiment on foaming of lead samples should help toward mastering the process of manufacturing this novel material allying lightness and rigidity.
Finally an observation on coagulation of mono dispersed droplets aims towards improving weather reports.
The description of the following experiments is available from Novespace.
Experiments in Physiology and Biology
“Test of motor skills in microgravity”, Professor Otmar Bock – S. Abeele, German Sport University
“Effect of weightlessness on the nervous system: Task related demands on the motor system in the execution of grasping movements”, Professor Otmar Bock – Michaela Girgenrath, German Sport University
“The collinearity of Listing’s plane and the vestibulo-oculomotor response under hypogravity and hypergravity conditions”, Prof. A.H. Clarke, Freie Universität Berlin
“Optospectroscopic Detection of Primary Reactions Associated with the Gravitropism of Phycomyces:”, Professor Dr. Paul Galland, Philipps-Universität
“Effects of microgravity on the electrophysiological properties of human cell-line neurons”, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hanke, University of Hohenheim
“Influence of gravity on neuronal signal transduction and cytoskeleton organization”, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hanke, University of Hohenheim
Experiments in Fluid and Material Science
“Electrical and hydrodynamic coagulation of monodisperse droplets”, Werner Holländer, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research
” Plasma Krystal 3-Plus physics of complex plasmas – preparative experiments on parabolic flights”, Prof. Dr. G.E. Morfill, Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
“Investigation of the foaming of lead-samples under low gravity conditions”, Stefan Odenbach, University of Bremen
“TEMPUS Parabolic Flight: Materials Science Experiments 2002”, Wolfgang Dreier, DLR/Space Management Projects/Microgravity Research
